Schuyler Bradley

In the fall of 2020, Schuyler Bradley, a 19-year-old Black man and student at Indiana University, traveled to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for a weekend visit with friends. The trip was planned around a football game between the University of Alabama and the University of Georgia. A graduate of Carmel High School and a member of the Acacia fraternity, Bradley was studying informatics and was known by friends and family as a loyal and loving young man who was quick to defend others.

In the early morning hours of October 16, 2020, Bradley and his friends were walking along the 1700 block of University Boulevard, an area known as 'The Strip.' They had a chance encounter with another group walking in the opposite direction, which included Zachary Profozich, then 22. After the men bumped shoulders, a verbal argument broke out. According to witnesses, Bradley was attempting to de-escalate the situation. During the altercation, which lasted about 30 seconds, Profozich pulled out a .357 revolver and shot the unarmed Bradley in the abdomen.

Bradley was rushed to DCH Regional Medical Center in critical condition. He suffered from severe internal bleeding and was placed on life support. After being resuscitated twice, which resulted in brain damage and organ failure, his family made the difficult decision to remove him from life support. Schuyler Bradley died on October 17, 2020.

The Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit quickly identified and arrested Zachary Profozich. He was initially charged with attempted murder, but the charge was upgraded to murder following Bradley's death. Profozich was released from jail after posting a $150,000 bond. Shortly after, a judge granted his request to move from Alabama and live with his parents in Orange County, California, while awaiting trial.

The legal proceedings moved slowly, causing significant frustration for Bradley's family, who felt that justice had been stalled for more than five years due to a backlogged court system and a change in the presiding judge. The family’s long wait finally ended in the spring of 2026.

A jury trial began the week of May 11, 2026. After hearing testimony, the jury deliberated for less than three hours before returning its verdict. On May 14, 2026, a Tuscaloosa County jury found Zachary Profozich guilty of the murder of Schuyler Bradley. Before he was sentenced, Profozich apologized to Bradley's family, stating that Bradley was not targeted. On June 22, 2026, Circuit Judge Allen May sentenced Profozich to 30 years in prison.